Hi-Rez Studios announces significant changes for Tribes Ascend, based on feedback from closed beta testing of this upcoming continuation of the Tribes series of multiplayer first-person shooters. Word is they are shaking up their planned class structure, and will be adding more of the flexibility players have been requesting. Here's word on the next update to the game's ongoing closed beta test, which is available to those who preorder through the Tribes Ascend Website, along with some of those who have signed up for the beta:

The next update will include additional class customization and a much more polished user interface that really showcases the sci-fi, high resolution graphics of Tribes: Ascend. Hi-Rez will be collapsing the total number of playable classes from 12 to 9, but adding the ability for players to unlock new weapons for each class and further customize their loadout. Three of the nine classes will be available right away so a new player will have access to a Light, Medium, and Heavy class in his or her first match.

“We believe this system preserves class-based combat while also offering additional flexibility for players to customize classes around individual play style. It continues to provide a balanced and level playing field for all players.”

Usual bunch of armchair assholes, never played the game but they know exactly what is going on and why it's a bad thing...

Hi-Rez has been responsive to the community and have, generally, provided an excellent play experience. Good server uptime, relatively few bugs, and a genuine effort to keep in the spirit of the original Tribes games.

Obviously they are pure evil and should be nuked from orbit (only way to be sure ya know), why would anyone ever pay for XP boosts or class unlocks and put some money in these guys pockets?!?!

/looks at LoL and the amount of people spending on RP's...

Lastly, Krowen. If you don't like it, continue to exercise your option to not play it. But if you're going to come marching in with all these opinions on just how crap it is, the absolute least you could bother to do is play the game so you don't come off as completely ignorant...

Halo wrote on Feb 2, 2012, 16:29:Significant changes to the game? No this is more ways to make money off stuff that was included in the previous versions.

Errr...

Half the people in this thread seem to have a very vague idea about how Tribes Ascend actually works, but will gladly assume the worst and post critically.

One of the first parts of the patch notes states that all invested gold, xp, tokens etc will be refunded so it can be spent in the new, re-designed system.

No progress lost, no payment needed, ever.

The game is not P2W. Everything so far, every last thing, can be gotten through simply playing. This might change, but this should be just for pure vanity items, skins, alternative voiceovers etc.

The only thing you gain by paying is more options sooner. The base options are fine, the gain rate is fine. It's entirely up to you how you spend your time. The change to the classes and the loadout system was highly requested and should make the game even more varied and enjoyable for most people.

I paid money because I had it and felt like it. Compared to grabbing a couple of beers I'm still pretty damn ahead on what I spent on this game and I've spent what, 60-100 hours on it? The beers would've been gone a lot sooner.

I hate P2W with a passion, but this game aint it. I enjoyed the direction of the game and I wanted to support he development of it. It was money well spent for support and a time saver. Please try the game rather than assume the worst.

Paying $45 for in-game currency and to level up faster in a Beta stands for just about everything wrong with gaming these days.

To be fair, CoD also stands for just about everything wrong with gaming these days as well. Not that I disagree with your original point or anything. I just find it humorous that you condemn microtransactions while admitting to paying for CoD.

Tribes Ascend is definitely not P2W. There is literally nothing you can spend real money on that will make you a more powerful player. In fact the only reasons for spending money was to double your XP with boosters and give you gold to unlock the locked classes quicker. In fact that was one of the knocks against the F2P model for the game; once you've unlocked every class and mastered all the skill trees there is nothing left to do (and no reason to spend any money).

The feeling is entirely mutual. And not just about this topic. Quite frankly I don't care what you have to say about my opinion of not throwing money at P2W beta's and that it's extremely harmful to the future of games (as more and more companies do this). Feel free to contribute to the monetizing of every feature in games.

$45 isn't a one time fee. He has already made multiple transactions, thus we can conclude he will continue to make more transactions so he can P2W. It's a stupid model, and one I will never buy into, simple as that.

If Blizzard was doing this with the Diablo 3 beta, you can be damned sure people would be screaming bloody murder.

krovvan... i was just going to post that you are one serious whiner.... but.. then i got to your last post and realized imo that you are just a plain old id10t.

do i really need to take the time to post all the things you could do in a month for entertainment that would cost $45 for a measly 2 hours? or how people pay $60 for a game that may only last 6-8 hours?

yet you find something wrong with the game industry where people can play for months at a time, even in beta... and buy cool things that make their already enjoyable experience even more enjoyable... while at the same time generating much needed income for the developer.

even if the game never launches and they go under... 2-3 months of extremely enjoyable game time with cool stuff (perhaps hundreds of hours played) for $45 is a total bargain and next to free when you do the math.

For never having played the game and not knowing anything about it, you certainly have a lot of unjustified criticism.

Paying $45 for in-game currency and to level up faster in a Beta stands for just about everything wrong with gaming these days. Considering the amount of people on Blues that abhor nickel and dime DLC, Pay To Win, Subscriptions, etc it's pretty sad that anyone finds this acceptable.

MW3, I got it on sale and rarely play it, I have never bought their DLC and certainly will never buy into that Elite garbage. I payed less for the full game than Roach has for P2W crap in the TA Beta. Imagine how much the suckers will pay over the duration of time they play Tribes Ascend.

The game is most certainly not Pay2Win. The model is set up exactly like LoL, where everything can be unlocked just by playing, albeit with some time investment. But the bottom line is that paying players do not have access to anything that those who choose not to pay don't, and as has already been said, those that do pay during the beta will get to keep their accounts and progression, or be refunded for anything that is removed.

For never having played the game and not knowing anything about it, you certainly have a lot of unjustified criticism.

Paying $45 for in-game currency and to level up faster in a Beta stands for just about everything wrong with gaming these days. Considering the amount of people on Blues that abhor nickel and dime DLC, Pay To Win, Subscriptions, etc it's pretty sad that anyone finds this acceptable.

MW3, I got it on sale and rarely play it, I have never bought their DLC and certainly will never buy into that Elite garbage. I payed less for the full game than Roach has for P2W crap in the TA Beta. Imagine how much the suckers will pay over the duration of time they play Tribes Ascend.

Mr. Anisotonic wrote on Feb 2, 2012, 13:31:I tried this beta. I spawned on, in Tribes terms, flatland. I saw some mountains in the distance where I could potentially have some satisfying skiing. a hard-wall barrier blocked the way. not sure I'll be looking back at this.

Krovven wrote on Feb 2, 2012, 11:35:You two are hilarious. "What about my unlocks *cry*". It's beta. Be prepared to lose everything at any moment. If you are worried about losing stuff, then don't play beta'.

Oh come on. Even though I understand what you say and agree with you (up to a point), why can't I complain about it? Would it harm you if I got what I wanted and was made happy by it instead?

Not at all, but realistically you shouldn't expect to keep things in Beta. As it turns out they are marketing beta as an early access, which I really don't agree with, but now they do need to make sure they follow through with that promise.

As much as I am wary of F2P games this one is just too much fun not to play.The last time I had such a blast playing a multiplayer game was when I played Natural Selection and I think I have spent several thousand hours with that game.Definitely not going to happen with Tribes Ascend because of a lack of time but this game is just so satisfying and enraging that it is difficult to stop.

Krovven wrote on Feb 2, 2012, 11:35:You two are hilarious. "What about my unlocks *cry*". It's beta. Be prepared to lose everything at any moment. If you are worried about losing stuff, then don't play beta'.

Oh come on. Even though I understand what you say and agree with you (up to a point), why can't I complain about it? Would it harm you if I got what I wanted and was made happy by it instead?

I tried this beta. I spawned on, in Tribes terms, flatland. I saw some mountains in the distance where I could potentially have some satisfying skiing. a hard-wall barrier blocked the way. not sure I'll be looking back at this.